Blackpool children’s mental health highlighted in Parliament

In Parliament, I spoke about the heartbreaking reality of the mental health crisis facing children and young people in Blackpool. Reforming the Mental Health Act is important, but unless we match it with real change to services, staff and support on the ground, we will continue to fail the children and families who need us most. We need stronger legal safeguards for young people, a statutory framework to assess capacity in under-16s, clear care and treatment plans for every young person and protection from being placed in unsafe settings far from home.